Dementia Cases Expected to go up to 135 Million by 2050

The number of dementia cases is estimated to rise by 17 percent in 2050, increasing the present number of dementia patients from 44 million to 76 million by 2030 and 135 million by 2050 globally, according to the Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI). These findings were revealed Thursday, by health experts and researchers.

These rising numbers are a great cause of worry as a majority of governments are not prepared for this upcoming epidemic. The issue will be discussed in the G8 Dementia Summit, to be held in London on Dec. 11.

"At the eve of the G8 Dementia Summit in London, UK, it is not just the G8 countries, but all nations, that must commit to a sustained increase in dementia research," said Marc Wortmann, Executive Director of ADI, according to a statement.

Dementia is a chronic brain disorder, which hampers cognitive abilities. The report also found that more dementia cases were observed in developed countries, but developing countries were likely to see a significant increase of about 71 percent in the number of cases by 2050.

"..most governments are woefully unprepared for the dementia epidemic," Martin Prince, a professor at King's College London's Institute of Psychiatry, stated in a policy report, according to Reuters. Prince also mentioned that only 13 countries have national dementia plans.

The findings revealed in the report will be used for formulating better policies and improving the existing medical care and social care services.

"This is a global problem that is increasingly impacting on developing countries with limited resources and little time to develop comprehensive systems of social protection, health and social care," Prince said in a statement.

Presently, the global cost of dementia care is above $600 billon, which is about 1.0 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP) and it is expected to rise further, the ADI explained.

"It's a global epidemic and it is only getting worse," said Wortmann, Reuters reports.

"If we look into the future the numbers of elderly people will rise dramatically. It's vital that the World Health Organization makes dementia a priority, so the world is ready to face this condition."